As a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Biology at Utah State University, I cross discipline barriers to incorporate a broad range of topics, including systematics, natural resource interpretation, education, and museum studies.
Education
Utah State University (USU)Doctor of Philosophy - Dept. of BiologyLogan, UT2019 - 2024
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)Master of Science - Dept. of EntomologyUrbana, IL2015 - 2017
Lawrence University (LU)Bachelor of Arts - Dept. of BiologyAppleton, WI2010 - 2014
Teaching Experience
Utah State University
2019 - 2024Introduction to Biology LabsGenetics LectureNatural Resource InterpretationCollection Material HandlingUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2015 - 2017Introduction to BiologyEcology HonorsEnvironmental Studies OnlineMcHenry County (IL) Substitute Teacher
2014-2015High School Biology/Music/Special EducationJunior High Biology/Music/MathElementary ScienceVolunteerism
USUSA Entomology Club
2020 - 2023Offices: Vice President, PresidentUIUC Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA)
2015 - 2017Offices: Secretary (two terms)Sustainable Lawrence University Gardens (SLUG)
2010 - 2014First-Authored Published Research
Decker, B.L., C. Bryan, L. Kassim, N. Soley, S.D. Sipes, M. Arduser, A.N. Harmon-Threatt. (2020). Preliminary Illinois bee species checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and use of museum collections. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 93(1): 34-74.
Decker, B.L., J.P. Pitts, D. Yuan, and J. Rodriguez. (2020). Re-examination of Australian and Oriental species of Minagenia Banks, 1934 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), with a new record for the genus in Australia and a new species description. Zootaxa. 4768(3): DOI 10.11646/zootaxa.4768.3.5.
Decker, B.L., and A.N. Harmon-Threatt. (2019). Growing or dormant season burns: the effects of burn season on bee and plant communities. Biodiversity and Conservation. 28: 3621-3631.
Selected Presentations
"Bringing Collections to the Classroom: New, Hands-On Museum Studies Course"Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections Conference, virtual talk, May 2023
"Determining Phylogeny and Biogeography of Minagenia"Entomological Society of America Annual Joint Conference, in-person talk, November 20222nd Place Student Oral Presentation Competition
"Utilizing Large Digitized Entomological Collections: Species Check List and Assessment of Comparativeness for Illinois Bees"Entomology Collections Network Annual Conference, in-person poster, November 2018
Selected Work Experience
Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN. 2025 - presentClinical Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Entomology
Utah State UniversityLogan, UT. 2018 - 2024Graduate Researcher in SystematicsEntomology Collections TechnicianBiology Teaching AssistantAnthropology Instructor of Record
Aptive EnvironmentalDenver, CO. January - June 2018Qualified Supervisor - Pesticide Application
University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL. 2015 - 2017Graduate Researcher in EcologyBiology Teaching Assistant